Power of Prevention!

‘‘The function of protecting and developing health must rank even above that of restoring it when it is impaired.’’ - HIPPOCRATES Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is very important. Eating right, getting exercise and avoiding substances like tobacco, alcohol and excessive amounts of sugar and salt are crucial, as is getting enough sleep, moreover it is also important to visit your doctor on a regular schedule in order to stay healthy and catch any disease early.Some sort of illness hits everyone eventually, but many diseases, if detected early, can be nipped in the bud. If detected timely, a full cure is much more likely.  This World Health Day, Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj attempts to make you aware of the preventive approach towards a healthier life. Why Prevention is better? The power of prevention is undisputable. An early detection may mean offering treatment at a more favourable stage or taking action to prevent the disease. It is essential to have a coordinated, strategic prevention approach that promotes healthy behaviour, helps early detection and diagnosis of disease, supports people of every age, and eliminates health disparities. Prevention programmes encourage healthy living and limit the initial onset of diseases, early detection, screening at-risk individuals, as well as strategies for appropriate management of existing diseases and complications. The lifestyle changes in diet and exercise, coupled with physical activity, can prevent or delay the onset of type II diabetes. Keeping a healthy BP and healthy blood cholesterol levels has a greatly reduced risk for cardiovascular disease. Regular screening for different cancers can reduce the number of people who die from it. When detected early and treated for the same, the survival rate becomes much higher. Among people with diabetes, annual eye and foot exams can reduce vision loss and lower-extremity amputations. Early diagnosis and appropriate management of arthritis, including self-management activities, can help people with arthritis, mitigate pain, improve function and stay productive.  Benefits Preventive healthcare provides many direct benefits to the individual- Comfort-Not having to deal with uncomfortable or painful symptoms, feeling more energetic and just being able to fully enjoy your daily activities. Economy-Even though many health insurance plans do cover preventive medicine such as regular check-ups, medical care is expensive and preventing disease can help avoid a large financial loss or bankruptcy. Perks-Preventive healthcare is an investment or personal insurance. Take advantage of any preventive benefits that your insurance company offers. Inexpensive-Weigh the relatively inexpensive cost of regular check-ups against the enormous expense of major care such as cancer treatment or long-term home healthcare. Major medical expenses often destroy a person’s life savings. The years of frugally planning, saving and investing in order to enjoy your retirement years can be erased by neglecting physical health during those same years.   Call to action by Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj (FHVK) The medical team of FHVK focuses on discovering treatments and cures for disease as well as on preventing them. Therefore, FHVK has designed, tested and implemented cost-effective prevention plans for disease prevention and control. As one of the city’s premium hospitals, FHVK is at the forefront in efforts to prevent and control various diseases through its preventive screenings. FHVK’s disease prevention programme envisions all people living a healthy life, free from ailments. FHVK offers a suite of health check-up plans customized to the needs of individuals, based on their individual health profiles. There are a number of screening programmes in place for adults and children.